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The 2009 Prius
Right now, used car shoppers are looking for affordable used cars with good fuel efficiency to help manage their gasoline costs. However, it is not unusual for older vehicles to lose a significant portion of their original expected MPG fuel efficiency due to normal engine wear and tear such as manifold leakage, worn pistons and rings leading to lost power, and increased friction from any number of internal rotating parts within the engine.
Related article: Fuel Efficient Used Cars to Hold You Over Till Your Tesla Arrives
However, if a vehicle is well maintained---as they all should be---there are exceptions to this general rule.
Furthermore, if you start off your search for vehicles that start out brand new as fuel efficient models, then you are hedging your bet on finding an older car that still makes trips to the fuel station less painful.
A Vehicle Case in Point
One example of this was posted recently on the Toyota Maintenance YouTube channel where its host---Peter---takes a 2009 Toyota Prius out for a test drive and shows viewers just how well this old car has maintained its fuel efficiency after 13 years and 115,000 miles.
Brand new, the 2009 Prius is listed as having an estimated fuel efficiency of 35 MPG in the city, 50 MPG on the highway, and 44 MPG overall.
In the video, Peter shows that the Prius he is test driving is showing 45.7 MPG on the dash display while driving in a suburban neighborhood.
Here is the video demonstrating the remarkable lasting ability of a Prius:
What MPG to expect from old Toyota Prius
Related article: Consumer Reports Recommends These Midsized Sedans Under $20,000 with the Best Fuel Economy
What Can You Expect to Pay for One Today?
A quick search locally reveals that the going price for a used 2009 Prius with mileage at 150,000-plus miles can be had for between $6,000 to $7,000---if you are lucky. There are many more models of Prius give or take a year that are running more like $12,000 to $14,000. Crazy right?! But that’s what the market is currently showing; and, possibly not so bad when you consider that a 2022 Prius has a base MSRP range of $25,075 to $33,370.
And finally…
If you do wind up buying an older used Prius, bear in mind that fuel efficiency can be improved with some simple maintenance outside of doing anything about engine wear and tear.
For example, all of the following will adversely affect a vehicle’s fuel consumption:
1. Driving with incorrect tire pressure
2. Having dirty or worn spark plugs
3. Never replacing a clogged air filter
4. Driving with a bad oxygen or inaccurate coolant sensors
5. Driving a Hybrid the wrong way
For additional articles about how to maintain a Prius, here are some selected articles to help with your maintenance and servicing:
• The Once in a Lifetime Toyota Prius Maintenance You Will Ever Have to Do
• How to Inspect the Transmission Fluid on a Used Prius
• Protecting Your Prius from Catalytic Converter Theft
• Car Maintenance 101: Changing the Headlight on a Prius
COMING UP NEXT: Everything You Need to Know About Toyota's New 4-Cylinder Turbo Engine
Timothy Boyer is a Torque News automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites for daily new and used vehicle news.
Image Source: Pixabay
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